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Saturday, January 22, 2011

Maine Shrimp Chowder - Pink Saturday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a light and lovely soup that's more like an oyster stew than a traditional seafood chowder. Save for shrimp and potatoes, there is little in this soup to distract from the briny taste of its creamy, but thin, broth. A traditional chowder has a base of bacon and is thickened with crushed crackers or a roux. They were originally made with chunks of fish and vegetables that were boiled in a large pot that the French called a "Chaudiere." The Chaudiere named both the cooking vessel and the stew that cooked in it. Over time, the word was corrupted by our New England ancestors and the stew became known as a chowder.Today's chowder contains no bacon, and no thickener of any type is added to the milk or cream in which the shrimp are simmered. This is a really easy dish to make. If you are at all skilled with a knife, you can move this simple meal from pot to table in less than 45 minutes. I found the recipe at Ocean Breezes and Country Sneezes, a wonderful blog that I hope you all will visit. I've made some small changes to the recipe. I cut all ingredients in half because this type of chowder doesn't reheat well. I also utilized the shrimp shells to help flavor the chowder base. While you can use light cream or half-and-half to make a slightly richer chowder, an effort to make it less rich by using reduced fat milk will yield disappointing results.. I know that those of you who try this chowder will love it. Here's the recipe.

Directions:1) In a medium saucepan, bring cream or milk to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low.2) Shell and de-vein shrimp. Rinse shells and place in pan with simmering cream. Cover and simmer very gently for 15 minutes. Pour cream or milk through a sieve. Discard shells. Add cheese and stir until cheese melts. Keep warm.3) Meanwhile, saute onions in hot butter in deep pot until tender. Add boiling water, then sliced potatoes, salt and pepper. Simmer covered 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Then add shrimp, and hot milk and simmer just until shrimp turn pink and are cooked through. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately. Yield: 3 to 4 servings.

Dear MAry How are you? Happy New year!! (This is for 2011, as it will be too early for 2012).I was travelling and was in the wilderness of the Ganges delta, criss-crossing water bodies, mangrove forest and frighteningly beautiful too.I like this dish. I have located a place in Delhi, from where I can get varieties of cheese and will try soon.Let me see what all I have missed here.Have a nice weekend

There is nothing like a good chowder...and I love that you included my seafood of choice: shrimp. Thank you for sharing yet another delicious recipe. I hope you have a wonderful weekend...enjoy yourself and eat well!

Oh, shrimp in any form sounds wonderful. This chowder look gorgeous and of course it is perfect for Pink Saturday. I try to find pink foods and hadn't even thought of gorgeous pink shrimp! Happy Pink Saturday.

This sounds absolutely delicious - I just moved away from New England, and I've been craving chowder big-time. Your recipe reminds me of Rhode Island-style chowder - not creamy, but light and briny. With lobster, even better!

What an honor it must have been for a fellow food blogger to have you make their recipe. You've set the bar high for your photography, writing and beautiful recipes. I've been surviving on soup for the last week, because of a cold. I have frozen shrimp, and I'm seriously thinking this would a beautiful dish to make and enjoy. I like that you utilized the shrimp shells. They flavor the broth a few extra notches. Just lovely...

I have a problem with chowder..I tried it many times, when I visited the U.S. . I remember the taste of this dish somewhere in the U.S. when I was travelling with my father from Vancouver to L.A.and then I read some recipes, and I do not know which one I should start with. I love hearty soups, as I mentioned in one of my previous comments, do you think I can succeed with your recipe ?

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